Teaching-learning Environment Research Articles

Technological Tools in Education: Actionbound Experience of Prospective Biology Teachers

This study aims to analyse the experiences and perspectives of prospective biology teachers regarding their excursions using Actionbound to learn about plant species. The participants in the study consist of 30 undergraduate prospective biology teachers. The focus is on the prospective teachers’ enjoyment of the Actionbound experience, the duration to complete the excursion, their willingness to engage in another task-based game, and their views on implementing mobile device-supported biology teaching, specifically related to the design of a biology lesson using Actionbound. The prospective biology teachers predominantly found their experience with Actionbound enjoyable. Their perspectives centred on the App’s usability in education and its technical usability. Results show that biology lesson designed with mobile devices positively impacts knowledge retention, motivation, interest, and enjoyment. The results underscore the importance of designing learning environments for effective biology education and teacher training.

Methods and techniques of forming the perceptions and motivation of English teachers

The article explores the dynamic methodologies and strategies used to shape perceptions and enhance motivation among English teachers. Recognizing the crucial role educators play in language acquisition and proficiency, it provides a comprehensive review of innovative methods designed to invigorate and empower these teachers. The study incorporates interdisciplinary perspectives from psychology, pedagogy, and cognitive sciences to examine approaches like positive reinforcement, professional development programs, peer collaboration, and technology integration. It also assesses the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors on teacher efficacy and classroom dynamics. By integrating empirical research and best practices, the article offers valuable insights for educational stakeholders aiming to create a vibrant and engaging learning environment for teachers and students alike.

Research on College Network Information Security Protection in the Digital Economy Era

In the era of the digital economy, the informatization degree of various industries is getting deeper and deeper, and network information security has also come into people’s eyes. Colleges and universities are in the position of training applied talents, because of the needs of teaching and education, as well as the requirements of teaching reform, the information construction of colleges and universities has been gradually improved, but the problem of network information security is also worth causing people to ponder. The low security of the network environment will cause college network information security leaks, and even hackers will attack the official website of the university and leak the personal information of teachers and students. To solve such problems, this paper studies the protection of college network information security against the background of the digital economy era. This paper first analyzes the significance of network information security protection, then points out the current and moral problems, and finally puts forward specific countermeasures, hoping to create a safe learning environment for teachers and students for reference.

CONCEPTUAL PROBLEMS WITH DISEMBODIED COGNITION IN LEARNING ENVIRONMENT(S) AND THE ALTERNATIVE OF EMBODIED CREATIVITY

The article is motivated by today’s practical realities and theoretical transformations that have affected education on a major scale. The shift from in-person to online classrooms at the beginning of the pandemic brought forward a series of issues related to embodied conditioning for creative strategies in the learning process. After presenting the shortcomings of the disembodied approach to education, we emphasize the role of the embodied (somatic, motoric, affective) aspects of education and discuss the embodied skills of creativity in a variety of learning environments. While so called embodied creativity became a fast-developing field due to mostly quantitative experiments in teaching-learning environments, it still lacks some conceptual clarification, especially in relation to its genesis in the paradigm of embodied cognition. Hence the main goal of this conceptual article is to extend, through the method of theory adaptation, the existing body of research on embodied cognition in academic environments to show how the embodied teaching and learning paradigm presents embodied creativity methods as an alternative to the disembodied approach to education and how technological environments provide an opportunity for such purposes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY IN EDUCATION

This paper presents as a general objective the relationship between quality and its indicators, presenting the main challenges and strategies to promote quality in education, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach that takes into account not only the pedagogical aspects, but also the socio-emotional ones, cultural and technological. From this perspective, the different elements that contribute to the construction of quality education and the measures that can be adopted by educational institutions to achieve this desired objective will be discussed. Present the need to use quality indicators in education and teaching-learning environments by analyzing the benefits that these tools can bring to society, and highlighting their importance for 21st century education. The transformations caused by quality education are essential for the human, social, economic and democratic development of a society. Investing in improving education is investing in the future of a nation and its future generations. students, there is still a need to establish pedagogical access limits. If there is the possibility of access and a quality pedagogical proposal, the student becomes a professional and a competent citizen, with the skills required in this century and capable of applying the effective learning acquired.

Applying intersectionality to address inequalities in nursing education

AimThe aim of this paper is to discuss the significance of the intersectionality framework for addressing prejudices, racism and inequalities in nursing education and clinical learning environments. BackgroundDiscrimination and racism against nursing students and educators based on their gender, ethnicity, race and social identities is well-documented in the nursing literature. Despite documented discrimination and incivility based on intersectional factors, it is reported that often nurse educators show limited interest in the culture, diverse experiences and values of nursing students with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. DesignDiscussion paper MethodsThe discussion was based on contemporary literature about intersectionality, discrimination and racism in nursing. We completed a cursory search of literature in nursing education journal and selected nursing and health science databases. This was not a formal literature review. Using a fictional example, the application of intersectionality to address inequalities in educational settings is illustrated. ResultsIntersectionality is an invaluable tool for examining interwoven power relations and power struggles arising from racial, gender, ethnic, religious and sexuality and disability-related differences. Nurse educators, students and leaders should be more cognizant of their preconceived views, sociocultural stereotypes and varied forms of sociocultural oppression affecting their interactions with each other in clinical learning environments. ConclusionsIncorporating intersectionality can address prejudices, racism and inequalities arising due to sociocultural, ethnic, power-related and intergenerational issues among educators, students and other personnel involved in creating clinical learning environments.

INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS, INCLUSION AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN ESP (ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES) COURSES - STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND VIEWS

INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS, INCLUSION AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN ESP (ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES) COURSES - STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND VIEWS

Teachers Attitude Toward ICT Integration in BGS Classrooms of Secondary Schools in Bangladesh

The integration process of technology in education is related to a large extent with teachers; attitude, their motivation and access, ease of use and usefulness of new innovation. Therefore, the paper aims to explore the teachers’ attitude toward ICT integration in classroom instruction. The study follows a quantitative research design following multistage stratified sampling technique whereby survey instrument has been used to collect data. The SPSS software is employed for statistical analysis of data. Results display that the teachers possess positive attitude toward ICT integration in Bangladesh and Global Studies (BGS) classrooms at secondary level. Additionally, the analysis explores the school location, school types, gender and confidence, which have potential impact and change to the teachers’ attitude toward ICT integration. The results of this study would be helpful to foster the ICT integration in school education for creating constructive teaching-learning environment. Although the study focuses on secondary school BGS teachers but it could have significant influence in all stage of education in Bangladesh. Teacher’s World: Journal of Education and Research, 49 (1), 77-94

Transitioning from bachelor’s to master’s studies – examining study burnout, approaches to learning and experiences of the learning environment

PurposeTransitions to and within university studies can be associated with heightened distress in students. This study focusses on the less studied transition from a bachelor’s to a master’s degree. During a master’s degree, study requirements and autonomy increase compared to bachelor’s studies. The present study examines how students’ experiences of study-related burnout, their approaches to learning and their experiences of the teaching and learning environment (TLE) change during this transition. Moreover, the study examines how approaches to learning and the TLE can affect study-related burnout.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaire data were collected from 335 university students across two timepoints (bachelor’s degree graduation and the second term of their master’s degree).FindingsThe results show that students’ overall experience of study-related burnout increases, as does their unreflective learning, characterised by struggling with a fragmented knowledge base. Interestingly, students’ experiences of the TLE seem to have an effect on study-related burnout in both master’s and bachelor’s degree programmes, irrespective of learning approaches. These effects are also dependent on the degree of context.Originality/valueThe study implies that students’ experiences of study-related burnout could be mitigated by developing TLE factors during both bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. Practical implications are considered for degree programme development, higher education learning environments and student support.

Examining the Effects of an Immersive Learning Environment in Tertiary AEC Education: CAVE-VR System for Students’ Perception and Technology Acceptance

Examining the Effects of an Immersive Learning Environment in Tertiary AEC Education: CAVE-VR System for Students’ Perception and Technology Acceptance

Assessment of School Teacher's Disaster Preparedness by Using Comprehensive School Safety Framework

The Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSSF) is a comprehensive strategy for a safe learning environment for teachers, students and school staff. This study assessed the disaster preparedness level of secondary school teachers in the public school district Attock. Three hundred twenty teachers were selected from district Attock public based on their age, gender, qualification, teaching level and teaching experience. A five-point Likert scale survey instrument using the CSS framework was used to analyze the disaster preparedness of secondary school teachers. The data was collected through Google Forms using a survey. Data was standardized on MS Excel for a smooth run on SPPS. The data revealed that the majority of the schools are prepared for disaster. There are safe learning facilities, school disaster management, disaster risk reduction and resilience education. However, no school was found to be highly prepared. At the end of the study, the researcher gives further research recommendations on school safety based on the CSS framework.

Behavioral intention, perception and user assessment in an immersive virtual reality environment with CFD simulations

This study explores technology acceptance, perception and user assessment of an immersive virtual reality environment with computational fluid dynamics simulations in engineering education. 57 participants from three different institutions tested the virtual reality application. Partial least squares structural equation modeling and interferential statistics were performed to predict and assess interrelations among constructs. Results show that the learning value, content value, intrinsic motivation and personal innovativeness are underlying factors behind students’ intention to use virtual reality. Pair-wise analysis indicates that users’ perceptions matter and positively affect their attitudes. In addition, the virtual reality application helps students perform significantly better in the post-knowledge test. Findings also highlight that prior experience and interest can affect students’ attitudes and behavioral intentions to accept the virtual reality application in education. Our study can guide lecturers and developers to achieve on-target immersive virtual reality learning environments in higher education.

New Learning Environments in Design and Craft Education – Acknowledging the Learning of Design Literacy

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to contribute to the concept of design literacy by exploring what it means to learn design literacy through making. To support my argumentation, I draw on a case study where I followed two student teachers of design and craft as they learned design literacy through woodworking. Due to Covid‐19, the learning environment was located at the students' homes rather than the design and craft studio at the university. Two research questions guide the case study: What stories does the student recall from learning woodworking and what do these stories provide that are relevant for learning design literacy? Three ‘making’ stories are presented from the case study: (1) Making with the unknown, (2) Making alone educationally, and (3) The affective and embodied making. These stories provide numerous making skills that are relevant when teaching and learning for design literacy, which is further discussed in the paper.

Factors motivating the adoption of virtual learning environments in higher education. Is gender relevant?

This study aims to examine the influence of gender on the adoption of a virtual learning environment (VLE) in higher education in Ghana during COVID-19 restrictions. A survey approach was used, with a total sample of 488 responses from the University of Professional Studies, Accra. To reveal gender differences, both male and female respondents were subjected to a multi-group analysis. The factors impacting students’ intention to use VLE were determined using the structural equation modeling approach employing SmartPLS 3.3.3 software. Accordingly, both gender groups show that subjective norm elements significantly influence intention to adopt VLE; however, the male group (β = 0.873, p = 0.000) reports more significant influences than the female group (β = 0.571, p = 0.000). The study establishes that the newly incorporated construct in the theory of planned behavior, attitudes towards social distancing, significantly affects males’ behavioral intention to use VLE more than their female peers. This result demonstrates the robustness of the theory of planned behavior for evaluating technology acceptance research.

An enquiry into the role of classroom management in enhancing learners’ social skills

Learners’ social skills enhancement is one of the key components of the classroom and the basic obligation of a teacher and school.  Thus, it is imperative to manage the classroom in a way that can offer a comfortable teaching-learning environment to learners. Therefore, the study aimed to examine to role of classroom management in enhancing learners' social skills. The interpretive research design was utilized to describe the qualitative data, and a generic qualitative research approach was employed to undertake the study. A total of 18 teachers from six secondary schools were selected by using a purposive sampling technique.  It was instituted that classroom management and the social environment of the classroom play a vital role in learners' social skills enhancement. Based on research findings, physical resources, teacher role, class rule, conduct and regulation, socioeconomic status of learners, family background, and poverty are the leading factors that have a strapping role on learners’ skills enhancement. The selected schools to accomplish research are lacking resources, however, teachers are considered as a core in teaching-learning. It is, therefore, obligatory to provide resources to classrooms, skills to teachers, and address learners' socioeconomic status to achieve educational goals and enhance social skills.

Enhancing Science Process Skills in Physics Education: The Impact of the Phyphox Smartphone Application in High School Laboratories

This study explores the effectiveness of smartphones as measurement tools in physics laboratories, focusing on the science process skills of Class XI students at SMA Negeri 1 Wajo. Employing a Pre-Experimental One-Shot Case Study design, we integrated the Phyphox application into the curriculum and analyzed its impact on students' scientific understanding. Our methodology included purposive sampling of 24 students and data collection via science process skill tests, lesson plans, and student worksheets. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses revealed a significant improvement in students' science process skills, with an average score of 72.08. The one-sample t-test showed an essential value of 0.000, indicating a positive effect of the Phyphox application. These findings suggest a potential shift towards technologically integrated learning environments in physics education, enhancing student engagement and comprehension. While promising, the study acknowledges its sample size and context limitations, highlighting the need for further research in diverse educational settings. This study contributes to the growing body of research advocating digital tools in education, aiming to prepare students for a technologically advanced world.

Outcomes of Residency Education: Insights Into the Professional Formation of the Physical Therapist Resident

Introduction. The definition of excellence in physical therapy (PT) education is evolving, yet the role of postprofessional residency education remains uncertain. Arguments in favor of required residency have emerged through the re-visioning of PT education across the continuum. Yet, little evidence exists whether residency education further develops clinical skills, clinical knowledge, and clinical reasoning abilities. Review of Literature. Previous studies have explored the development of the novice physical therapist in the first 2 years of practice; however, there is little evidence about the outcomes of PT residency education. Thus, this study looked to explore the development of learners through their residency education and to identify the critical elements of the teaching and learning environment in residency education. Subjects. Eleven PT residency programs and 13 residents participated in a qualitative study to explore the learner development through residency. Each residency program consisted of a residency program director, one or more mentors identified by the residency program director, and at least one physical therapist resident. Semistructured interviews were conducted with program participants, and journal entries were collected from residents. Methods. Using a purposeful sample of convenience, an exploratory, multiple-site/specialty area qualitative case study design was conducted. Results. Three emerging themes were identified including growth of self, becoming a member of the community of practice, and facilitation of learning through mentoring. Through the transformative journey of residency education, there are critical elements of the learning environment supporting deep learning within the community of practice. These elements include the provision of opportunities and adequate time and space for learning to occur. Discussion and Conclusion. The intentional design of the community of practice through residency education facilitates the development of the novice clinician to experienced clinician in an accelerated period of time. In addition, residency graduates develop characteristics similar to adaptive learners through planned teaching and learning opportunities. Finally, the structure of residency education mattered to the resident participants such that the learning environment enhanced peer learning and the development of professional relationships.

Immersive Learning Environments in Education: Application, Effect and Challenges

The objectives of the present study are to search and critically analyse the immersive learning environments; and deriving the applications and effects of immersive learning environment in education with suitable examples by supporting empirical evidences. Based on the objectives and limitations of the present study, important research questions for critical analysis are formulated. The “Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Model” (SAMR) of Dr Ruben Puentedura was used as the theoretical framework. The study is review-based and analytical in nature, where related literatures regarding the uses, effects and challenges of immersive learning environments in education in present and futuristic perspectives. Both inclusion and exclusion criteria were followed. From the intensive literature review regarding the immersive learning environments widely used in educational setting, the four important aspects were found, viz. immersive learning, virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. The results revealed that ILEs have wide educational effects like providing learning autonomy, increasing attention, providing permanent learning, self-regulated learning, active participation, increasing comprehension of lesson, providing in-depth learning etc. in terms of cognitive effects. ILEs have some affective effects of students like satisfaction, fun, curiosity, enjoyable, interesting, exciting, motivating etc. After the critical analysis of the immersive learning environment systems used in education, game-based learning, project-based learning, experiential learning, collaborative learning etc. were found to be most frequently used. So far as its implementation part is concerned, some sorts of challenges have been noticed in research studies i.e., difficulty in understanding, technical problems, insufficient instruction, limited time, and health problems. Suggestions for further research were provided.

Enhancing Critical Thinking in China's Virtual Learning Environments: Developing a Model for University Education

The incorporation of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) into higher education in China is a big step toward improving critical thinking among university students, a key ability in the digital era. This study indicates a research need to assess the usefulness of virtual learning environments (VLEs) in teaching critical thinking after COVID-19. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to investigate the influence of VLE features on critical thinking and analyze students' views of enabling aspects, with 85 papers narrowed down to 35 for further research. The findings show that both educational interventions and psychological features inside virtual learning environments have a substantial impact on critical thinking growth. The discussion focuses on the delicate link between VLE features and critical thinking development, emphasizing the need for pedagogical practices that successfully use technology for educational progress. Implications for educators and policymakers include a purposeful integration of VLEs to create a favorable learning environment for critical thinking. The conclusion emphasizes VLEs' potential to revolutionize educational practices and calls for more study to enhance digital learning platforms for critical thinking growth across a variety of educational situations.

Innovation, Enterprise and Physics Education: Weaving Paradigms for World of Work

There are global concerns about the employability potential of the young graduates. Increasingly, the young are expected to contribute to the innovation ecosystem, be economically productive, and capable of being self-employed, enterprising and entrepreneurial. An overview of the national policies and practices is provided to illustrate the sweeping changes being brought about at all levels of education. The paper explores how enterprise and entrepreneurial education can be embedded in mainstream physics education. The assertion is that dynamic and creative teaching-learning environments have long included action-learning in various measures. Case study of work undertaken by the author exemplifies how collaborative student projects provide the opportunity for embedding innovation and enterprise in curricular and cocurrricular activities in transdisciplinary contexts. An overarching perspective highlights challenges, opportunities and implementable action plans.